Nevada, Rhode Island, and Saint Mary’s all enter AP Poll

Nevada, Saint Mary’s, and Rhode Island all joined the AP Top 25 on Monday, giving the poll four teams from mid-major conferences.

Gonzaga, which lost at home to Saint Mary’s, dropped two spots from 13 to 15. The Gaels re-entered the poll at 16, while Nevada and Rhode Island came in at 23 and 24 respectively.

New Mexico State and Boise State each received votes for the Top 25 as well.

Elsewhere, Kentucky dropped out of the poll for the first time in three years, Wichita State dropped 10 spots after losing back-to-back conference games, and Oklahoma dropped from four to 12.

While this is undoubtedly a great week for mid-majors on a national scale, they will not have an easy time staying in the polls. Nevada has to play at Wyoming, which has four KenPom top-100 wins, and Saint Mary’s hosts a BYU team desperate for a big win. Rhode Island and Gonzaga seem to have lighter weeks ahead, but the Rams do face a potential challenge against Duquesne. The Dukes are off to a 5-2 start in the Atlantic 10.

The complete poll can be found below:

Also Receiving Votes: Miami 83, Louisville 81, TCU 45, Kentucky 38, Kansas State 35, Seton Hall 25, Creighton 20, Florida State 14, Houston 5, New Mexico State 4, Boise State 2, Providence 2.